In a history of the skid rows in American cities from the late 19th century until the urban renewal era of the 1960s, Ella Howard tells of the impoverished people who inhabited them and the policy choices that supported their existence.

A recent conference hosted by the American Institute of Architects in Los Angeles shined a light on efforts to reduce homelessness in Los Angeles—and demonstrated just how much work must be done nationwide to solve this humanitarian crisis.

Twin Cities Rein in Highway Expansions

Angie Schmitt at Streetsblog writes that the Twin Cities region is "reassessing the role of highways in its transportation system."

With that goal in mind, the Metropolitan Council recently released their Twin Cities 2030 Transportation Plan. The plan promotes maximizing "the use of existing freeways by adding bus lanes or priced traffic lanes in shoulders wherever possible. The new framework will require increased emphasis on transit and other non-automotive modes.

Rather than measuring transportation capacity in terms of traffic volumes, planners have focused on moving people."

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